News

PRESS RELEASE

CONNECTED TO THE COMMUNITY

Escanaba, MI, August 10, 2018 - Todd Maki, President & CEO of First Bank, Upper Michigan, announced that a contribution will be made to the 4-H organizations in Delta, Marquette and Dickinson Counties to provide the organizations with membership assistance for the youth of their counties.

First Bank is joined by Riverside Auto Group in sponsoring the contribution in which each of the three counties will receive at least $2,000. On behalf of First Bank, and along with the Riverside Auto Group, Maki stated, "that the two companies wanted to do something new to support the 4-H program." He, along with Matt Dagenais, Paul Dagenais, of the River Group, felt that this outreach would make a difference for youth in 4-H within the counties that both organizations have a presence.

Pictured from left to right, Todd Maki with Dave Radloff, 4-H Youth Development Extension Educator Delta County, Jon Pryor with Jessica Coron, 4-H Program Coordinator Dickinson County, E.J. Kostreva with Liana Graves, Educator and 4-H Program Coordinator Marquette. County.

PRESS RELEASE

DEHAAN JOINS FIRST BANK'S INVESTMENT TEAM

Escanaba, Michigan, April 23, 2018- First Bank, Upper Michigan is excited to announce Alex DeHaan has joined the First Investment Services team as an investment representative.

DeHaan is a registered investment representative licensed to sell a wide range of investment products including stocks, bonds, and mutual funds. He is also licensed as a life and health insurance producer, providing products such as long-term care insurance and annuities, broadening First Investment Services' product offerings.

DeHaan is a graduate of Escanaba High School, where he earned numerous honors and awards in academics, athletics, and the fine arts. He holds an associate's degree from Bay College and a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business with an emphasis in finance and management.

President & CEO Todd D. Maki stated, "We are fortunate to have the opportunity of adding Alex DeHaan to First Bank's First Investment team. As an investment representative, his depth of knowledge and focus on achieving the goals of clients will be a strong pairing. DeHaan will be working with Les Cseter, VP-Trust officer, who has been providing investment management services with First Bank for over 12 years."

First Investment Services and the Investment Management Group provide comprehensive financial services that include retirement planning, 401k rollovers, educational savings and general investment accounts. First Bank has been providing investment services since 2000 and they recently received the Daily Press's Reader's Choice Award for Best Investment Broker in 2017.

First Bank, Upper Michigan has branches in Escanaba, Gladstone, Marquette, Ishpeming, Kingsford, Iron Mountain, Bark River, and Garden. DeHaan is located at 2800 Ludington Street and 1921 3rd Avenue North in Escanaba and is available to meet at other First Bank locations as well.

NO BANK GUARANTEE | NOT A DEPOSIT | NOT FDIC INSURED | NOT INSURED BY ANY FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCY | MAY LOSE VALUE. All Securities and Investment Advisory Services offered through Investment Professionals, Inc. (IPI), a Broker/Dealer, member FINRA/SIPC & a Registered Investment Advisor. The investment services offered by IPI under the name First Investment Services are not offered by First Bank, Upper Michigan, nor is First Bank, Upper Michigan a registered broker/dealer. First Bank, Upper Michigan is not affiliated with IPI.

PRESS RELEASE

MAKI NAMED PRESIDENT OF FIRST BANK

Gladstone, MI, January 11, 2018 – The Board of Directors of First Bancshares Corporation appointed Todd D. Maki the new President & CEO of First Bank, Upper Michigan effective March 1st, announced Jeanine K. Dagenais, Chairperson.

In fourth quarter 2017, Northern Michigan Bank & Trust and First Bank, Upper Michigan, both owned by parent company First Bancshares, merged their organizations. First Bank, Upper Michigan now has ten locations, including two in Gladstone and Escanaba, as well as locations in Garden, Bark River, Iron Mountain, Kingsford, Marquette and Ishpeming. In addition to retail and commercial banking services, First Bank offers trust and investment services through their Investment Management Group.

Todd Maki has most recently served as the South Central Regional President of First Bank, and prior to that, President & CEO of First Bank, Upper Michigan subsequent to the merger with Northern Michigan Bank & Trust. He has been with the organization for 20 years and is a lead commercial lender. Prior to his employment with First Bank, Maki served the communities of Ishpeming and Escanaba at Michigan Financial Corporation in the areas of lending and management. He is a graduate of Northern Michigan University where he earned his bachelor's degree in business management. Maki is a graduate of the Northern Michigan School of Banking as well as the Michigan Bankers Association Commercial Lending School. Originally from Ishpeming, he resides in Gladstone with wife Lisa and three children. He is a member of the Escanaba Rotary Club and coaches youth sports.

Maki replaces Randall J. Peterson who joined the organization in 2012. Peterson has been President & CEO of First Bank prior to his move to President & CEO of Northern Michigan Bank & Trust after the acquisition, and most recently, President & CEO of the merged institutions. Peterson will assume the role of EVP Management Consultant for First Bank, Upper Michigan.

PRESS RELEASE

Escanaba, MI, June 1st, 2017 – The directors of First Bancshares Corporation (First Bancshares), the parent company of First Bank Upper Michigan (First Bank) and Northern Michigan Bank and Trust (NMB&T) announce today that an application has been filed with the appropriate regulatory agencies. NMB&T will merge into First Bank Upper Michigan. The Directors have chosen First Bank Upper Michigan as the name for all 10 locations throughout the central Upper Peninsula.

In November 2015, First Bancshares Corporation announced the acquisition of NMB&T. Following regulatory approval the actual ownership change was consummated on March 2nd, 2016. Since then the acquisition has proven to fit with First Bancshares’ strategic focus. The banks have worked together in many ways over the past 16 months and this merger will only further enhance the synergies.

Once the merger is completed, under one bank charter, First Bank will have over 115 associates with 10 branches located in Delta, Marquette, and Dickinson Counties. The banks will see additional economic benefits by reducing the duplication of resources toward compliance, auditing, regulatory examinations and other outside consultants needed to comply within our current regulatory environment.

“This is the next logical step in our desire to remain a strong community bank enhancing our ability to improve client services and provide more opportunity to our professional staff of caring associates,” said Jeanine Dagenais, President and Chairperson of First Bancshares.

Currently, both banks use the same core processing system which will help to simplify the system integration process. Our third party IT provider will be assisting the banks to ensure an accurate and proficient integration.

“We plan on continuing to improve our products and provide our clients with the best banking solutions available while still maintaining our local bank feeling. We will still have the same smiling faces our clients have grown to know and rely upon,” noted Todd Maki, President & CEO of First Bank.

The merger is tentatively planned for the fourth quarter of 2017

About First Bancshares Corporation

First Bancshares is a private holding company that was formed when it acquired First Bank Upper Michigan in 1988 and continued to grow with Northern Michigan Bank and Trust in March of 2016. First Bank provides a full range of consumer and commercial banking as well as investment management services at its locations in Escanaba, Gladstone, Garden, Marquette, Ishpeming, Iron Mountain, Kingsford and Bark River. First Bank was originally formed from the purchase of First National Bank of Gladstone MI in 1988. First National Bank of Gladstone was formed in 1916, and is currently celebrating over 100 years in serving our local communities. Sound management and exceptional client services are the foundations upon which First Bank was founded and are common threads that have been woven through time to carry the bank forward. For more information about First Bank, go to www.first-bank.com.